Fridge On A Pickem-Up: The Rules.

November 25, 2015 Munchkin

Yellow.Rubbe.Gnome.Driving.Boots

Here is another Munchkin and Gnome Game which might become famous once we are minor celebrities. So, even although it seems like we are the only ones that find this game humourous, it is our hope that this might catch on at some point…”go viral” so-to-speak. However, I would like to give a Big Thank-you to Ginja Bwai for playing this game with us once.

Last week, we spotted a Fridge On A Pickup at Tommy’s Superstore in Bella Vista.

Gnome:

“Quick, quick, get a picture before you miss it!”

Munchkin:

“Yeah but…how can I miss it? It’s not moving!”

Gnome:

“Sorry Babes, but you do have a habit of missing them!”

Gnome.Looking.Friendly

Spotting a Fridge On A Pickup means 1000 points!!

And we have had close calls in the past as I fumbled around for the camera as the truck and fridge came whizzing by. Look! It’s speeding away!! There have been a few fast and furious car chases in Belize with Munchkin and Gnome!

Anyway here are the Point Allocations for the spotting of Goods (and assorted paraphernilia) on a Pickup (with a picture):

Fridge 1000pts.
Washing Machine 900pts.
Freezer 850pts.
Estufa (Spanish for Stove) 800pts.
Boca (Central American Chip Packets) 750pts.
Pig 500pts.
Tractor Wheels 500pts.
Large Ruminant 350pts.
Small Ruminants 250pts each.

When you spot the Fridge on a Pickup, the rule is to jiggle your bottom on the car seat and shout out,

“Fridge On A Pickup!!”

with whistles, loud expressive whooping and hand gesticulating.

Add up all your points and come to the sober realisation that none of this means anything and try to have More Fun!!

Belize, Food, Our Products

Fried Cassava With Peach Palm Miso Dip.

November 24, 2015 Munchkin

Munchkin.Training

Mmmmm…deep fried cassava is one of our favourites…it is really hearty and warming for colder days in Belize.

And since we are moving into winter time in Belize when the temperature can drop down to 18C (64F), this dish is perfect.

To prepare the cassava, peel and wash:

Boil the cassava in a stockpot. You will know when they are ready when they start to split length-wise. Drain the roots and once they have cooled down, slice them into 1/2 inch circular pieces. Heat up oil (I use a wok) until smoking. Fry about 10 pieces at a time, until golden brown, and drain on kitchen towel.

To make Peach Palm Miso Dip combine the following :

2 tbsp Soya Sauce

2 tbsp Honey

1 tsp Peach Palm Miso (or Shiro Miso)

Enjoy!! We deliver Peach Palm Miso in Punta Gorda on Wednesdays. Contact us by email or Facebook if you are interested and we can drop it off for you.

We can also send it to you via Tropic Air within Belize. Check out The Apothecary for prices.

Amusing, Belize, Farming, Food, Plants

The Brain!!

November 23, 2015 Munchkin

Together.Smiling

Before I start on another hilarious story with Munchkin and Gnome (Ha-Ha), I would like to mention that you can find us on FaceBook under Mandy Tsang. We have removed the Casa Mascia Apothecary page because it has only served to confuse everyone or maybe it’s because I don’t know how to use FaceBook properly! Anyway…back to The Brain…

Every-time we harvest one of these beauties, we call out “The Brain!!” in unison. Well, it is because we think that this root resembles a brain and also, we have been living in the bush for so many years, we have developed a sense of humour to offset some of the boredom (Ha-Ha).

Hmmm…I suppose you could say that it also looked like an elephant’s foot…

“The Brain!!” is also known as elephant foot yam, white-spot giant arum and its latin name is Amorphophallus paeoniifolis. Anyone who knows a bit of latin will be wondering why this is called a misshapen (amorpho) penis (phallus). This plant actually produces a spectacular flower which is the reason for the name; unfortunately, we have not been privy to the flowering of this plant. If you do a quick Internet search, you will find pictures easily…the flowers are truly amazing.

If you look at the stem of this plant, you can see the tell-tale white-spots which lends them their popular name.

This plant is related to A. konjac which is consumed in South-East Asia and Japan. According to a Straits Chinese Gnome, this is used, amongst other things, to make Jello in Asian countries because it can remain solid in the Tropics.

The preparation and cooking will be for another post!! Watch out for the dissection of The Brain!!

Belize, Food

Our Very Own Instant Cuppa Cassava Ramen.

November 22, 2015 Munchkin

Together.Eating.Fire.Pot

A couple of weeks ago we harvested fresh cassava from the farm to make “Cuppa Cassava” which is our own home-made version of an instant noodle meal. As described in an earlier post, we prepared the root by peeling, cutting into pieces and steaming. After that, we put the cooked vegetable through a meat grinder in order to homogenize it and obtain a “noodle-look.” Then it was placed in the sun to dry for three days.

We made an “instant” quick meal by adding boiled water (about 1+1/2 cups) to a handful of dehydrated cassava noodles; we covered this and allowed the vegetable to soften and cook for 10 minutes. At 7 minutes, a teaspoon of miso (our famous Peach Palm Miso) and a 1/4 cup of finely chopped green spinach were added to the mixture. And Hey Presto…Cuppa Casava Ramen was ready to eat!

The cassava noodles had a chewy, firm texture with a bite. We both agreed that this was a good preservation method and this was definitely worth having in the pantry as “farm-made fast food.”

Belize, Farming, Food, Plants

Farm Vegetables and Fruit.

November 21, 2015 Munchkin

Together.Tank.Top

Hello Everyone!! I am always so pleased with our harvests on the farm; the farm still keeps producing bountiful crops and there is always something new and exciting to eat. It never ceases to amaze me how generous the land can be if you are willing to put in a bit of time and work.

Plenty of Cassava to harvest right now.

A whole bed of sweet potatoes and it gets better…you can even eat the greens like a spinach.

Voluntary wild papayas dotted all around the farm. Get them before the birds feast on them.

This is malabar spinach. Simply stir-fry, steam or boil; also makes a great salad green. It can be started from cutting and grows well in boggy areas. This is such an easy green to grow that I think everyone should have a patch of this in their garden.

This is a cultivated variety of purslane; it makes a lovely salad green and the edible flowers add colour to a dish.

We have been harvesting these for about 3 months solid from one tree…and it has started flowering again! These have a crunch just like apples.

It is absolutely wonderful growing our own vegetables and fruit to eat. I would not have it any other way!

Amusing, Belize, Pets

Paradise Piggies: Toddler Tickling Time 5pm.

November 20, 2015 Munchkin

Munchkin.in.the.Wind

This is an MGNews special bringing you the most exhilarating and high velocity news from Paradise Pastures, a home for Paradise Piggies. Mayor Gnome took some time out today from his busy schedule to talk about the most special time of the day for him.

Toddler Tickling Time: 5pm Every Night.

MGNews: Good Evening Mayor Gnome. Thank-you for this exclusive interview. In this year’s election campaign, you had promised Toddler Tickling Time every night. How is this working out for you and the community?

Mayor Gnome: Oh yes, delightful. This is valuable time for me and I find the whole experience uplifting and joyful.

MGNews: What do you like most about it?

Mayor Gnome: Sharing with the community. All you need to do is to look into the eyes of one of these piggies and that is all you need.

MGNews: What kind of response have you received from the toddlers?

Mayor Gnome: Well they make a lot of squeaky noises which I take as a positive response!

MGNews: Thank-you Mayor Gnome for sharing your thoughts with us.

This was a MGNews exclusive interview with Mayor Gnome. You better Belize it! We will leave you tonight with a gallery of toddlers from Paradise Piggies.

We can’t help but love Mayor Gnome. Keep up the good work…and keep funding our network!

Belize, Farming, Our Products, Pets, Soap

Pet Stuff.

November 19, 2015 Munchkin

New.Munchkin.Gnome.Yellow.Boots

Hello Everyone. We have just delivered some Pet Products to the Farm Store in Punta Gorda. These include Jackass Bitters and Neem Pet Soap and Lime-Sulphur Pet Dip.

The pet soap is made from jackass bitters and neem leaf for control of fleas, ticks and mites without the use of strong chemicals. The Lime-Sulphur Pet Dip is used for more severe infestations of mange, fleas, ticks and ringworm.

Both products are safe to use on your pets. As you can see: our pets love Sulphur Dip Time!

For anyone who lives in Belize, outside of Punta Gorda, we can have these products delivered via Tropic Air. We also ship Internationally. Check out The Apothecary for more information and prices.

Amusing, Belize, Philosophy

The Tao Of Belize: Tai Chi On The Road.

November 18, 2015 Munchkin 2 Comments

Together.Horses

The Tao of Belize: Car Hailing was first introduced as a concept which encompassed the philosophy of symbolic communication on the roads of Belize. Last week we traveled on the mean roads of the country and opted to use the following hails:

Pointing Snake; Projection of Inner Knowledge.

With intermittent Jaguar Paw; Respect To The Power of The Predator.

You could consider this as “Tai Chi On The Road”; powerful symbolism to soothe the souls of travellers. C’mon everyone…start with the Fundamental Five (Rabbit Ears, Double Gibnut, Pointing Snake, Jaguar Paw and Upward Facing Dog) and keep the Car Hailing Revolution going!

Belize, Fermentation, Food, Our Products

Peach Palm Miso: The Basics.

November 17, 2015 Munchkin

Munchkin.More.Eating

We have had a great response with our Peach Palm Miso. A Big Thank-you to all the people who bought it last week. Their support is much appreciated. We even sent one packet on Tropic Air to Placencia. So, yes we can send this food product to anyone within the country via Tropic Air. It is a fermented product so does not need special refrigeration. Once you receive it, it should be refrigerated or stored in cool, dry place. It is best consumed within 6 months but can be kept indefinitely…like all fermented products it actually gets more flavoursome with time.

To start with basics, to make a simple miso soup, dissolve one teaspoon of peach palm miso in hot water and simply enjoy! Miso is a healthy pro-biotic food which can aid digestion and helps maintain healthy digestive flora. Moreover, our miso, is made with peach palm and white rice koji only so it is completely gluten-free.

Miso.Soup.

Anyone interested in purchasing Peach Palm Miso, please contact us by email or Facebook. We can deliver within Punta Gorda on Wednesdays (tomorrow) or send by Tropic Air to the destination of your choice within Belize. Check out The Apothecary for prices.

Amusing, Belize, Farming

His and Hers For Christmas.

November 16, 2015 Munchkin

We're Happenin'!

Last week, we had to go up to Belize City so we decided to do some Christmas shopping. We passed by the Santa Claus Garden Models and Gnome said rather warily,

“They are not that useful on a farm.”

Then we circled around the Jesus decorations wondering what to do with them. There was a large one and a small one to choose from.

Christmas.Garden.Decorations.Are.Out

Gnome squinted his eyes, moved his head around and gave me a perplexed and doubtful look,

“What do we do with them…mmm…everywhere I look, their eyes keep following me!”

And I piped up in response,

“Oh really! The tall one or the short one?”

I think Gnome was secretly peeved because there were no Garden Gnomes!

Anyway, we both agreed that it was not in our best interest to buy a Festive Garden Decoration. We then proceeded to the footwear section and something caught our eye. It was a “Must Have” and we both took off our shoes with glee to try these beauties on.

New boots for Christmas…more Munchkin and Gnome paraphernalia. When we become famous minor celebrities, these boots will be much sought after so now is the time to buy shares in yellow wellies!

Everything Handmade in Belize.